Combination book series and toy house



Nov. 3, 1936. N HEMPSTQNE- 2,059,964

COMBINATION BOOK SERIES AND TOY HOUSE Filed May 4, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l 2 THESTORV 0F BE TTV-J v Nov. 3, 1936. HEMPSTQNE 2,059,964

COMBINATION BOOK SERIES AND TOY HOUSE Filed May 4, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q & N

q \a q N Nov. 3, 1936. E. N. HEMPS TONE COMBINATION BOOK SERIES AND TOY HOUSE Filed May 4, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M 7 I //////////////v ditto want Patented Nov'. 3, 1936 COMBINATION BOOK seams am) 'ror nouss Elizabeth Noyes llempstone, Washington, D. 0., auignor to Elizabeth E. Gravel, Washington,

Application May 4. ms, Serial No. 669,442

This invention relates to children's toys and particularly to a book series of such nature as to Provide a child with all necessary materials for the erection of a toy house, comprising a plurality of room units, and for the cut-outs" for use in such room units.

The invention contemplates the provision of a series of small pamphlets or books,' unique in details of construction, the cover of each of which comprises in reality a folded or collapsed room unit and the printed matter of. which is formed separately from the cover and loosely held therein by a securing means or by a wrapping enveloping the book. The separate printed portion of the article or the book proper contains pictures of various types, as desired, for instance, figures and representations of various articles of furniture, all of which may be cut out. The book proper also preferably includes suitable instructions and a story or narrative.

Each book of the series (including the cover) comprises a useful toy in itself, but it is primarily intended that all of the books comprising the series, for instance four, be utilized at one time in the construction of a toy house of novel character, the several book covers being first unfolded and formed into room units and the several room units being then attached together to form a larger playhouse structure. Preferably the several book covers are differently decorated so that, in the completed house structure, one room unit will appear to be, for instance, a kitchen, a second room unit a dining room, etc. The several book covers are preferably formed of relatively light cardboard, and associated with each is a flexible tying member by means of which a child may not only firmly secure the several portions of the book cover in proper relationship to form a unit but may also secure the several units together to form the playhouse.

The entire playhouse is very light in weight and may be easily moved from place to place. By reason of the novel securing means, the various units are likewise firmly attached to each other. A minimum number of parts are utilized in the construction of the playhouse, in the average instance only four book covers and a plurality of lacing members, so that there are no parts which are likely to become lost or misplaced. The cost of manufacture is slight.

In the accompanying drawings, one of the books of the series is illustrated in detail, and in additional views the completed playhouse is shown. It will be understood that not only the book but the playhouse may vary in details of design and construction without departure from the invention, the embodiments illustrated being set forth by way of example only. 1

The details of the book are shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Figure 1 being a perspective view of the closed'book, Figure 2 a perspective view of the same partially opened, Figure 3 a plan view of the cover, completely unfolded and the pamphlet or printed portion of the book removed, and Figure 4 a perspective view of a corner of the book;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the room units built up of a book cover;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a plurality of these room units partially assembled into a playhouse structure;

Figure '1 is a rear view of the completed playhouse; and

Figure 8 is a front view of the same.

Each book of the series comprises a cover generally indicated at In and an enclosed pamphlet or printed booklet indicated at H. The cover comprises four portions, a back portion 12, front portion l3, and two end portions [4 and I5 respectively, the front and back portions being similar in size and hingedly connected together along the line l6, and the end portions being hingedly connected to the back portion l2 at I! and I8 respectively. The book cover may be formed from a single piece of material, weakened along the lines l6, l1, and I8 so as to permit fold ing of these parts, or the. various portions may be formed separately and connected together by cloth hinges, which method of construction is preferred as it results in a somewhat more freely foldable and more durable structure, As will be understood from an inspection of- Figures 1 and 2, the booklet or pamphlet l l is normally enclosed within the cover, the end portions M and I5 being folded down over this booklet and the front l3 folded down over the end portions.

The lower edge of each of the end portions is provided with a plurality of apertures I! which are preferably protected by eyelets, and similar rows of apertures 20 are formed in the end margins of the front l3 of the book cover. In the upper comers of end portions l4 and I5 respectively are eyelets 2|, and in the upper and lower corners of the back l2 of the cover, are, respectively, eyelets 22 and 23.

The cover shown in Figure 3, for instance, may be readily converted into a room unit by folding the end and front portions until they occupy positions normal to the back l2, as shown in Figure 5. Flexible lacing members 25, two of which are provided with each cover, may then be utilized to secure the adjacent edges of the front and end portions of the room unit together, these flexible members being passed through the eyelets ofthe frontand end portions, as indicated in Figure and in other figures of the drawings, so that the lower edges of the end portions areilrmly laced and secured to the adJacent edges of the front ii of the cover.

As is apparent, the surfaces of the back and end portions of the book cover are decorated with representations of various articles of furniture, and these surfaces, when the cover has been folded into the room unit shown in Figure 5, simulate in appearance three walls of a room, the front II of the cover comprising the floor. This floor may be decorated, if desired, with figures in simulation of carpets, etc. After having completed the room unit shown in Figure 5, the child may cut from the pamphlet ll figures of various kinds therein printed, such as figures representing human beings or various articles of furniture,.and may place them in the room unit, moving them about as desired and preferably in accordance with the teachings of the story also set forth in the booklet.

In the event that it is desired to construct a playhouse comprising a plurality of room units, four books of a series are utilized, these books being similarly constructed but the covers being differently decorated and the contained pamphlets or booklets having different figures to be cut out. Thus it 'is apparent from an inspection of Figure 8 that the covers of four books so chosen are decorated in such manner that, when these books are assembled into room units, rooms of four different kinds are represented. The four room units may be easily connected together, and, from an inspection of Figure 6 of the drawings, themethod of connecting the room units will be apparent. Preferably one room unit is first placed upon another, and the ends of the lacings utilized to secure the end portions of the upper room unit to the front portion (0) thereof are passed through eyelets formed in the upper portions of the lower room unit so that the upper and lower room units are secured together. Two of these double units are shown in Figure 6.

The lacing 25 is shown to have its ends forwardly disposed, and one of these ends is passed through one of the upper eyelets 2| of the lower room unit. The ends of lacing 25 are rearwardly disposed, and one of these ends is passed through an eyelet 2| at the rear upper corner of the opposite end portion, the upper room unit being therefore connected to the lower room unit at diametrically opposite corners. The lacing 25 in turn has its ends forwardly disposed, and one of these ends passes through an eyelet 2| at the upper forward corner of an end portion of the lower room unit. The lacing 25 has its ends rearwardly disposed, as shown in dotted lines, and one of these ends will pass through a similar eyelet at the upper rear corner of an end portion of the lower room unit'. The ends of laces 25 and 25 are then tied together, but, prior to tying together the ends oflaces 25 and 25, the two double units are moved side by'slde to the position shown in Figure 8, and the ends of laces 25 of the right-hand double unit pass through adjacent eyelets of the left-hand double unit so that, after the ends of these laces are subsequently tied togeter, the right and left-hand double units will be securely attached to each other at the vertical mid-points of their adjacent rear edges.

aosaou Likewise the lower adjacent edges of the double units are secured together by laces 25 and 25*, the ends of laces 25* being rearwardly disposed and the ends of laces 25 being forwardly disposed.

By means of the laces illustrated, therefore, not only can the several portions of any individual book cover be secured to one another to form a single room unit, but by means of these same laces, four room units, or even more if desired, can be connected together into a house having a plurality of rooms. The use of laces is advantageous inasmuch as they are of light weight, inexpensive, durable, and easily understood by a child. They also provide a simple means for attaching the lower edge of each end portion of a room unit to the bottom or floor thereof at a plurality of points. It is highly advantageous to do thisinasmuch as the material of which the room unit and book cover are constructed is preferably light-weight paper or cardboard.

To insure greater resemblance to a playhouse, the reverse faces of the back and end portions of the book cover maybe decorated in such manner as to represent exterior surfaces of a house, having, doors, windows, and the like shown thereon, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. Thus,

when the four room units are assembled together, the completed article will disclose upon its rear surface the pictorial representation of the entire front or entire rear of a house, and the ends of the completed structure will appear to be the end walls of a house, thus completing so far as possible the illusion sought.

I preferably provide no roof structure so that access to the interior of the several rooms is facilitated, but such a covering for the house may be easily provided if thought desirable for any reason.

In originally assembling the books, the several laces may be rather loosely tied, through various of the eyelets, to laces of each book cover, and these laces may also serve the function of securing the comers of the back and front portions of the cover together, as shown in Figure 1, in which event the laces will be originally attached as shown in Figure 2. Alternately, the laces may be attached to the front section l3 of I the cover in the manner shown in Figure 3 and some separate means employed to retain the book in folded position as shown in Figure l, for instance a wrapping of cellophane or the like.

As will be apparent, the invention presents no complications to a child. A child can readily erect either a single room unit or a house from a plurality of such units without instruction, without great effort, and without resorting to materials or attaching devices not supplied with the booklet originally. All of the parts which go to make up each unit are connected together in the first instance, even the laces being attached, so that it is not possible for any parts to become lost or misplaced. Finally the playhouse is readily disassembled whenever desired simply by untying the lacings and folding or collapsing the various units, the entire playhouse being then easily stored away in a small space until it may again be desired to erect it.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of manufacture designed and intended for use both as a book cover and a playhouse unit, said article comprising a back panel, a front panel, two end panels, and securing a,o:so,oe4

means, the front and end panels being hingedly connected to the back panel so as to be foldable over a book disposed against the back panel, and elongated flexible elements for connecting the front and back panels when said panels are in folded relationship, which means may also be utilized to secure adjacent edges of said end and front panels together when said panels are disposed normally to the back panel, said edges being provided with attachment devices to which said connecting means may be detachably connected.

2. A book cover comprising a back portion, front portion, and two end portions, the front and end portions of each cover being hingedly connected to the back portion so as to be foldable relatively thereto, the .lower margins of the end portions and the end margins of the front portion being provided with devices engageable by a flexible element to secure said margins together, to form a room structure, when the 'front and end portions of the cover are disposed normally to the back, and elongated flexible means associated with said cover which may be engaged with the devices of the front'and end portions to which said devices are so formed that the fiexible means of one such cover may be attached to the devices of that cover and also to the adjacent devices-of an adjacent cover to form a unit comprising a plurality of room structures.

ELIZABETH NQYES HEMIPSTONE. 

